Page 19 - Discovery Guide

Data collected over a decade of monitoring bumblebee populations underscores the value of restoring natural wildflower meadows in the Forest of Bowland
Pollinators around the world are in decline due to a range of factors – including climate change, loss of habitat, the use of pesticides and modern intensive farming practices.
results in a flush of wildflowers, which draws in bumblebees in search of fresh sources of nectar.
In the UK, bumblebees are seen as a key indicator species to
the health and quality
of meadows for pollinators. Buoyant local populations and a variety of different bumblebee species are a sign of improving biodiversity.
In the Forest of Bowland, traditional wildflower meadows are used as donor sites to transplant natural wildflower seed to restore grassland which has been more intensively managed. Hay-making at the donor sites is delayed until
Traditional species-rich hay meadows are a vital resource for pollinators in
late summer, allowing
traditional wildflowers
such as clover, yellow
rattle, crane’s bill and
meadowsweet to flower and set seed.
carry out regular ‘beewalks’ through these fields, recording the
These donor sites are then mowed and the freshly cut ‘green hay’ containing millions of wildflower seeds is taken
to recipient sites and spread across the pasture. The following year usually
numbers and species of bumblebees observed, together with the flowers upon which they are feeding. A total of 11 different species have been recorded – including the rare Bilberry Bumblebee Bombus Monticola, which is usually
“ It’s a tribute to the commitment of our volunteers who turn out every year to count bees and patiently record their observations and to the unstinting support of our funding partners, who have underwritten monitoring and meadow restoration
s
the countryside and a succession of restoration schemes in the Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales have restored more than 700 hectares of wildflower meadow.
Over a 10-year period,
a team of volunteers
has been monitoring bumblebee numbers across 18 sites in the Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales. This will determine whether a long- term programme of upland meadow restoration is improving the habitat for pollinators by increasing the number and diversity of wildflowers.
In June and July, volunteers
projects in variou” forms since 2014
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